Applying the ICF-CY to identify everyday life situations of children and youth with disabilities

EnglishChildren with disabilities, as other children, learn and thrive in everyday activities. There is a lack of structured models to provide opportunities to children with disabilities to express their opinions on their participation in everyday life situations. This dissertation addresses the first issue in providing these opportunities by identifying everyday life situations specific for children. The WHO’s health classification ICF-CY with its components Body functions, Body structures, Activities and Participation, and Environmental factors offers a framework for viewing children’s life situations from the perspectives of measures, professionals and parents.The findings show that use of the ICF-CY broaden professionals’ perspective of child functioning. Two sets of ten everyday life situations are identified and adapted for younger and older children, establishing a difference in specific contexts depending on maturity. Furthermore, key constructs in the ICF-CY model, revisions of the ICF-CY, and ICF linking rules are discussed.